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The baby boom continues as a critically endangered monkey is born at Drusillas as part of the European breeding programme. The Sulawesi black crested macaque was delivered on Tuesday 25th October and staff are delighted with the new arrival.

Black crested macaques are native to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi where they are now regarded as critically endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). In the last 40 years it is estimated that the population has been reduced by more than 80% due to habitat loss and hunting pressure and they now face the very real threat of extinction in the wild.

These large impressive monkeys have just one baby at a time, born with a pink face which darkens with age. So far the baby bundle, thought to be male, is thriving alongside parents Kendari and Moteck. He will remain very dependent for the next four to five months, clinging to his mother who will nurse him for at least a year.

Kendari and Moteck were introduced at Drusillas in 2010, after being re-homed respectively from Chester Zoo and Monkey Park in Israel. The new arrival is the couple’s first baby together and hopefully will be one of many more to come.

Breeding programmes such as the one at Drusillas Park operate throughout the zoo community, in conjunction with the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. By cooperating in this way, animal collections hope to safeguard the existence of many animal species in order to secure their future survival.

Zoo Manager, Sue Woodgate commented: “It is wonderful to see the new addition to our macaque family. He is showing a lot of interest in his surroundings and being doted on by his cousin Kamala who was born at Drusillas in 2010. We are expecting a lot of monkeying around from these two over the coming months.”

The monkey madness started when Emperor tamarin, Lucy gave birth to twins. This species takes its name from the 19th Century Emperor, Wilhelm II of Germany, who they are said to resemble on account of their distinctive moustaches. The fan-tash-stic pair are becoming more independent everyday and can now be seen playing with their older siblings.

Two silvery marmosets were next to make an appearance. The pearl coloured pair were born on 28th August and are thriving under the watchful guidance of proud parents Captain Jack and Hester. Silvery marmosets are native to the forests of Central andSouth Americaand usually give birth to twins every five to six months.

Then it was the turn of the red-handed tamarins, who delivered triplets.Keepers made the happy discovery on 28th September and all the babies are doing well and prospering. This species usually have two babies at a time which are generally carried around by the father; to have three is rare.

Finally two critically endangered cotton-topped tamarins arrived. The tiny bundles were born on 14th October and are doing well with the help of Dad, John and Mum, Georgie. Cotton topped tamarins are native to the humid tropical forests of Columbia, where there has been a severe reduction in the population mainly due to the destruction of their habitat. Like many of the animals at Drusillas, the group is part of a European breeding programme.

Zoo Manager, Sue Woodgate commented: “We are always excited by new arrivals. It is brilliant to have so many babies born within our breeding programmes and they are proving very popular with the public too. Fingers crossed, we are hoping for a few more happy events in the near future.

A rare black lemur has been born at Drusillas. The young male has been called Tsito by zoo keepers and is making good progress under the watchful guidance of proud parents, Clementine and Lotfi.

Male black lemurs are all black with striking eyes, whilst females have a brown back, pale belly and whitish ear tufts. They are native to the forest areas of northern Madagascar where they are considered a vulnerable species, mainly due to hunting and the destruction of the habitat in which they live.

Clementine arrived at the end of 2009 from Park Zoo inPortugal, followed closely by Lofti from Friguia Zoo inTunisia. The pair were brought together at Drusillas as part of the European Endangered Species Programme coordinated by EAZA (The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria).

Black lemurs give birth to one or two babies at a time and the youngsters are carried around by their mother for up to six months. Tsito is growing in confidence daily and has just started to come off Clementine’s back for short periods of time, exploring the trees and ropes at Drusillas. He has also begun eating small amounts of solid food, with his particular favourite being pear.

Zoo Manager, Sue Woodgate commented: “We are so excited at the arrival of Tsito. He is a very cheeky little chap and can be seen playing with the ring-tailed lemurs and his Dad in Lemurland while Mum takes a break from her parenting duties.”